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Opposition to the plan to sterilize wolves to increase the size of the Fortymile Caribou Herd near Tok has surfaced from an unusual quarter: The trappers that make up the Caribou Calf Protection Program. "We're very upset the department (ADF&G) wants to go ahead with sterilization. There is no (Fortymile) problem anymore. We took care of it," said fur buyer and spokesman Joe Mattie.
For two years the organization has been paying double market value, or about $400 each, for wolf
pelts. As a result about half of the wolves in the area have been killed. The trappers feel they
have saved the caribou, and now they are afraid they will not get credit. "They'll put a spin
on it where it looks like trappers just assisted with a non-lethal wolf-control program," said
Mattie. "But lethal is what we're all about. We see those wolves as our resource for
consumptive use."
But ADF&G biologist Craig Gardner is not sure how much credit they deserve. "If you look at the data," he said, "it's difficult to tease out the contributions of the Caribou Calf Protection Plan from what's been very favorable environmental conditions." For example, while 900 more calves than usual survived last year, the herd's pregnancy rate was also 10 per cent above normal. "Every 3-year-old we found was pregnant. That gave us 1,500 additional calves to start with."
In addition, while radio-collar tracking data shows that predation rates are down, the herd calved this year outside of its normal calving grounds, an area less populated by wolves to begin with.
The Alaska Wildlife Alliance is also protesting the sterilization, though for a different reason. They are arguing that the plan is barbaric, and wolf control in this region in general is biologically, ethically and fiscally unsound. They are also calling for an end to saturation snaring, which they say is "the landbased equivalent of high seas driftnetting," and kills many other species along with wolves.
They are asking Alaska Governor Tony Knowles to stop both these activities. Knowles stopped wolf control before and said no more would be done until an outside panel determined whether wolf control was scientifically sound behavior.
It is reprinted from the Summer 1997 Issue of WOLF! Magazine. This unique and comprehensive magazine is not supported by advertising, but by subscriptions. Please help keep this much needed resource alive!
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Images used with permission of the Artist